Meet Leila – our new Global Health Campaign Manager

I was 11 years old when my parents started a group to help refugees settle into the Sydney community. A few times a year we would pick up families who had newly arrived in Australia and take them on a weekend retreat. My mother would cook with the women in the kitchen, sharing recipes and dishes from around the world, while and my brother and I would play volleyball, soccer, basketball and go swimming with the children. At night we would huddle together, play music and share stories.

One night I asked a girl my age about the scars on her arm and down her back. She talked to me about war. About how her brother and father were killed, about fleeing her home, about never being able to go to school, about a life of violence, illness and fear.

I knew in that moment how lucky I was to be born in Australia. In that moment I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I had won life’s lottery. So at the age of 11 I decided I would be an advocate. I would campaign for equality, justice and human rights. In becoming aware of the measure of privilege I was born into I become determined to utilise it for the sake of a better world for all people.

I went on to study policy, international relations and law. I’ve worked for local and global NGO’s as a policy writer, digital campaigner, community organiser and advocate. I’ve worked on issues ranging from child rights, migration, community building, sustainable fishing to the illegal wildlife trade.

Welcoming new Australians into the community with a game of soccer.

Why do I want to work for RESULTS? Well, a lot changes when you become a mother. The statistics about children dying from preventable diseases are no longer helpful numbers for winning arguments – they’re your child, a million times over. I can imagine how each mother feels watching her child suffer and the joy it would bring to see them made well. I want to be part of a grassroots organisation with a proven track record of creating change, surrounded by people who share my vision of a world without poverty, where all children have the opportunity to thrive and where both nations and individuals take responsibility for the wellbeing of our globe and its population.

I believe that no matter who you are, where you live or what your level of privilege is our future is shared, our lives and our impact on the world is intertwined. To me, RESULTS is about mobilising people and nations towards building a future where equality, opportunity and freedom are available to all.